On Monday, we happened to be in town as the Anzac Day march went through. We followed, and observed a very moving service in the gardens. Most appropriately, a cockatoo screeched overhead.

We visited one of the many local wineries, and I spotted this little catterpillar hiding amongst the vines.

The grape vines are all changing colour, and the hills looked great with all the red and gold.

On one of our regular afternoon walks (have to walk off all the wine and chocolate), I spotted some King Parrots hiding in one of the trees.

And further along, this kookaburra keeping an eye on things.

I've come home all rested and refreshed, and with a to-do list a mile long. I start my next teaching placement on Monday, so for the rest of this week I'm hoping to be very productive! Hope everyone had a lovely easter.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

I've escaped the city this Easter, as is tradition for my mum and I. While it's a lot cooler here at night than at home, the days have been beautiful (though still requiring a jumper). Even the later afternoon on Thursday as we were heading away looked magnificent, and morphed into a beautiful sunset.

Today we checked out the Easter Market, then made our way to Brown Brother's for their Easter Festival lunch. It was amazing! We started out with some fresh breads before embarking on a four course feast. Each course came with a matched wine, making for a very yummy lunch.

I forgot to take a photo of the appetizer, but it consisted of oysters, melon and some veal "cigars".

The entree followed with tempura zucchini, fresh pate, heirloom beetroot with goat's curd, and blood pudding (which I won't eat) with chickpeas.

Then the main; I chose the gnocchi with pear, walnuts and blue cheese, while my Mum went for duck with quince.

Last up, I had a chocolate mousse with poached pear for dessert while my Mum had an apple tart.

Dinner tonight is just a few light nibbles; I couldn't possibly eat much after all that food.

Friday, April 15, 2011

I seem to have made myself a new friend lately, and while I sit at the dining table sewing, the juvenile Magpie sits on our outdoor table and sings for me.

I've finally found a little time to do some sewing for myself; between uni and market stuff, there has been very little of that lately. But with only one day of uni left before the Easter break, I've got a little more free time and I'm making the most of it!

The Plan C schnibbles has been on my mind for a while, as has Central Park...the perfect project to work on in my spare time.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

I had a delivery today that came in a long, narrow box; it didn't take Bella too long to make herself at home, right down the very end.

I'm making progress on my market sewing for next month; I've finished big owls, bunnies, and now a pack of little owls. Since I took the photo, they've been stuffed and had their squeaker inserted...just need to stitch them closed now.

I've also made some yummy home made pasta this afternoon which I'm looking forward to having for dinner. Simple and easy to make, and my recipe makes two adult serves plus a small serve of leftovers for lunch, or serves 4-5 as a side dish for something like beef stroganoff.

To make my pasta, blitz in a mixer 2 cups plain flour, 2 eggs, pinch of salt and a few slugs of olive oil. Then add some warm water and blitz till it resembles bread crumbs (the amount will vary depending on your flour). Tip onto your bench, knead until smooth, then wrap and pop in the fridge for an hour. Then use a pasta roller to roll out and cut as desired; I make mine into fettuccine.

About Me

I'm a Melbourne girl with a passion for food, wine, travel…and quilting. I also love spending time in the garden and the kitchen; there is nothing like a cake fresh out of the oven! My latest adventure is running my own online quilt shop while continuing to dabble in science, and trying to squeeze in as much travel as possible.